Commerce Minister highlights industrial transformation for food security

Luanda: Angolan Minister of Industry and Commerce Rui Minguêns de Oliveira highlighted on Thursday in Huambo the importance of developing processing industries for national products to strengthen food security and reduce dependence on imported goods. According to Angola Press News Agency, The minister was speaking at the opening of Expo-Huambo, which brings together more than 270 exhibitors and runs from 24 to 27 September under the theme 'Connecting Businesses for Economic Diversification'. He said the Government advocates Angola's ability to produce an increasingly larger share of the food it needs, reduce external vulnerabilities and ensure greater capacity to respond to international shocks, disruptions to logistics chains or changes in prices on international markets. According to the minister, when national raw materials are transformed into flour, processed foods, animal products, furniture, footwear, textiles or other consumer goods, added value, employment and new opportunities for national compan ies are created. He said food security requires the availability of food, quality, regular supply, storage capacity, efficient distribution and affordable prices, hence the need to produce and process more and better. He pointed out that food self-sufficiency is built through productivity, technology, investment, infrastructure, knowledge and the organisation of value chains, with partnerships that can be established during Expo-Huambo, which serves as a pillar for creating business opportunities. He said that in August 2026, year-on-year inflation stood at 8.78%, representing a slowdown of 0.55 percentage points compared with the previous month and 10.09 percentage points compared with the same period in 2025. He stressed that, with inflation already in single digits, this downward trend should be accompanied by the continuation of policies aimed at increasing domestic supply, as price stability is linked to the economy's ability to produce and make sufficient quantities of goods available. He said the current edition reflects a strategic priority for the country to produce more, process more, market better and create more value within Angola. He said Expo-Huambo should therefore be viewed not merely as an exhibition of products and services, but as a platform for business, investment, production, processing and the integration of national value chains. He said economic diversification cannot be merely an economic concept, but must translate into companies increasing production, farmers producing more, industries processing goods, traders distributing them, workers finding employment and consumers having access to quality national products at competitive prices. He said this approach is aligned with the economic policy measures promoted by the Government under the guidance of President Joo Lourenço, with particular emphasis on increasing domestic production, diversifying the economy, supporting private investment, improving the business environment and strengthening the country's productive capacity. He said PRODESI continues to play an important role in bringing production closer to the market, facilitating access to financing, stimulating domestic production, promoting competitive import substitution and creating conditions for national companies to grow, invest and enter new markets. He pointed out that the results show a dynamic that should continue to be consolidated. In the second quarter of 2026, credit disbursements under PRODESI reached around 70.1 billion kwanzas, representing a 130% increase compared with the same period of the previous year. During the same period, agricultural production reached 12.8 million tonnes, livestock production 61,800 tonnes and fisheries production 239,000 tonnes. These figures represent more than statistical indicators, but productive capacity, raw materials, companies, employment and greater supply for the domestic market. Held at the former Botanical Garden in the city centre, the third edition of Expo-Huambo is a strategic platform that facilitates interaction b etween decision-makers, producers, financiers and consumers, promoting business, innovation and partnerships that strengthen the entire national production chain.